The General's Secret
by BethSpringer
Summary: Katelyn Callahan's father was a soldier who was killed in the line of duty, or so she thought. When his life and hers collide, she can never go back to her sheltered life. OC's and some AU elements in the movieverse. T for language/violence. Given up for adoption to another author.
1. Prologue

**A/N: I had this story in mind since the GI Joe cartoon movie came out in the 80's. Set post movie with a different back-story for General Hawk.**

* * *

Major Clayton Abernathy stared in shock at the video he was watching. Since his escape from a hellhole in the Middle East, where he was held prisoner for five years by terrorists, he was told a long list of excuses as to why he could not return home to his family. All that had kept him alive during his torture and imprisonment were the thoughts of his beautiful wife, Clare, and their four-year-old daughter, Katelyn, waiting for him. Once he found out he had been declared dead, his chest tightened and his breathing became erratic.

Staring at the accident report stating that Clare Abernathy was killed in an apparent suicide involving her car and a train tore his heart in two. Looking at the video of his beloved daughter, who had been adopted by his sister-in-law and her husband, singing in a school play destroyed the other half_. Katie is nine years old_ _and living in Massachusetts, on the other side of the country; I can't just show up and take her away. She will barely remember me._

"I'm sorry, Major. I know you must have clung to the hopes of your family waiting for your return while in that shit-hole," General William Flagg said as he stood to the left of Clayton's seat.

Hanging his head in his hands and groaning, the Major felt more pain than he did after years of torture. "I might as well have died."

"I can understand your pain, son, but some good can come out of this," the General said.

"What possible good can come from these facts: the world _thinks_ I'm dead, my wife _is_ dead and my daughter has a new family!" Clay shouted jumping up from the chair, sending it flying across the room.

"Please calm down, Major," William held out a hand to calm the younger man.

"Calm down!"

"Yes, I have a job to offer you, if you'll listen," the older man said.

"What kind of job?"

"The ultra-classified kind," the General said obviously trying to gage his reaction.

"Like the one that left me rotting in a hole in Syria for five years?" Clay asked with raised eyebrows and hands on his hips.

"No, this involves a multinational group that can operate easier than one nation alone," Flagg stated.

"How multinational?" Clay worked with advisors and soldiers from many other nations when he was serving in the Middle East, but they were always reined in by their nations and the lack of agreements with regard to command structure and even the way they handled the rules of engagement.

"I need to get clearance before I can say more, but it would mean saying _good-bye_ to Clayton Abernathy and _hello_ to a new identity."

"Clayton Abernathy died five years ago in that convoy in the Middle East," he said in a voice that was devoid of the previous emotion. All the pain he let flash to the surface minutes ago had left him. The shell of a man that was left only knew one thing; _I have no life except being a soldier. _

"I'm sorry, son. I truly am. We'll have someone check-up on your daughter and keep you updated if you'd like?" the General offered with raised eyebrows. "Make sure she's doing okay."

"That…" Clay stopped. _Will that be more torture?_ He looked at the video of the little blond singing _Silent Night_ in an angel costume. "That would be nice." _At least I'll feel like I'm a part of her life even if it's just newspaper clippings and videos from time to time._

"Let's get you out of this hospital, Major," the General said as he put out his hand. "Welcome to GI Joe."

"Thank you, sir," the Major replied shaking the General's hand. _What the hell is GI Joe?_

**

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A/N: I hope you'll stick around to follow the story**.


	2. A Dark and Rainy Night

**Hasbro and Paramount own characters except OCs**

**A/N: I admit, I love Brendan Fraser and almost screamed when I saw his cameo. Not much is known about his character except that Brendan said it's not one of the regulars, even though he looks like Flint to me. I've seen his name as Sgt Stone on IMDB, so I'm running with it.**

**Thanks to Betherdy Babe for beta.**

**

* * *

Sixteen years later-The new Pit  
**

"You need to take a vacation, Master Gunny," Hawk stated with finality to the Marine standing before him. "Take some of your Corp buddies with you: Blast-off, Clutch and Rock-n-Roll are in need of some R&R as well."

"You might as well send me to COBRA headquarters, sir," Rick, also known as Sergeant Stone, said rolling his eyes. "Going out with those three is cruel and unusual punishment, even for you to hand out, _sir_. If Jeff's taste in food, Lance's taste in woman or Craig's music don't get us killed, I'll kill them all just for fun."

"Just don't get caught," the General smiled at the soldier standing before him. Watching Rick McKay mature into the outstanding instructor who stood before him was something he was proud of. The young man was already a skilled soldier, competent in weapons, military strategy and martial arts when Hawk met him ten years ago. After a lot of prodding and begging by the General, which included several motorcycles, he got Rick to leave the Alpha team and take over the duty of drill instructor for the new recruits. The Master Gunny ran them through his rigorous training program and tossed out a lot more than he accepted. _And lately, he was tossing many more._ _Seems like the president has asked his allies for the mediocre and not the best of the best any longer._

"Sir, are you serious about the vacation?" the Master Gunnery Sergeant said in a defeated voice.

"Yes, Master Gunny, I am," Hawk said looking into the intense blue eyes of one of his most loyal men. "You can grab your bike and open her up somewhere besides the hanger deck."

"Sir…" A guilty look flashed momentarily over Rick's face causing Hawk to laugh.

"I know all about your late night excursions when you think you got the cameras turned off," the General laughed as his number one drill instructor raised an eyebrow. "Still can't fool the old man, so hit the road. And I mean it about taking some others with you."

"Yes, sir." Master Gunny stood at attention awaiting dismissal.

"Dismissed," Hawk said brushing him off with a wave of the hand. Formality was not common among the Joes, but Master Gunny was too much of a career Marine to be anything less than respectful with his CO. Clay realized his drill instructor should probably report to someone else, but the initiation of new Joes was so important that it should not be delegated. He needed assessments by someone he trusted implicitly, to be unbiased and direct. _Master Gunnery Sergeant Rick McKay is thorough and direct. He called Duke and Ripcord right, even though the others had doubts._

A sound from the General's computer drew his attention away from the doorway where the Marine had left. Opening the message, a grin spread over his face. _An update about Katie. _

Over the last sixteen years, General Flagg kept his promise with updates about Katelyn's life flowing to Hawk with great frequency. At first, he tried to ignore them and made it three days once before he caved in and opened it. A part of him thought it would be better to let go and move on, but the man who wanted nothing more than a family to love after his harsh upbringing could not let go. He and Clare had a little girl, who was now a grown woman, and he had to know who she was, even if he and his wife did not raise her.

This email was a photocopy of the commencement program from MIT and a picture of Doctor Katelyn Marie Callahan receiving her hood for her doctoral work in chemistry. _Just as beautiful and smart as her mother._ Looking at the radiant smile on his daughter's face sent the lonely man back in his mind to another time when his daughter and wife lived to spend time with him. _Snap out of it, Clay, that life is over._ Taking one last look at the petite blond who was shaking the Dean's hand, he slammed his laptop shut and got up to head to the gym. _A couple rounds in the boxing ring with someone half my age should help me sleep._

* * *

Katelyn Callahan leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes_. I can't believe they hit me._ She turned her neck, knowing from experience at having been rear-ended before that it would hurt in a day or two, and checked for any other damage. The impact was not at high speed, so her airbag did not deploy and her seatbelt kept her from hitting her head on anything, so everything seemed fine.

"Miss, are you okay? I'm so, so sorry," a man in a business suit said as he tapped on her driver's side window.

Kate nodded as she reached to open the glove compartment to get her paperwork. Years of watching police shows and her own job, which she started last week at the police crime lab, told her that getting out of a vehicle on a dark, rainy night was a bad idea, but the guy just hit her and she had to exchange information. _Besides, Lincoln is a wealthy community and no one gets carjacked out here._

Opening the door, she stepped out onto the wet pavement to be met by the nervous chatter of the man who hit her. "Are you okay? I'm not sure if you should be getting out. There's not much damage. I'm really sorry. I was playing with the satellite radio and didn't see you stop."

"There was a dog in the road, but it ran off. I'm sorry I stopped so fast, but I didn't see a car behind me," Kate said as she walked to the back of her Toyota Prius. _Can't be much damage._

"I didn't see any animal, but I was going kinda fast. Oh, I hope we don't need to call the cops, my insurance is going up anyways and my mother is going to kill me."

Kate chuckled as she looked at the tall man standing by her side. In the dark, she could not see his features well, but he had a mustache and dark hair. His hands were flailing about and he constantly smoothed his short hair in the drizzle that fell on the warm summer evening.

"Is this your mother's car?" She looked at the vehicle that hit her and suddenly realized it was a minivan. _Yup, probably his mom's._ _He doesn't really look that young, but he must be one of those guys who still lives at home._

"Yes, it's the van she drives my nieces and nephews around in, but thankfully, it doesn't look like much damage. How about yours?" he asked with a great deal of concern and fear in his voice.

Kate leaned over her rear bumper and noticed plastic missing from the case over the rear light, but that was all. "Not too bad. Looks like just a quick exchange of paperwork and we can both get home before it's too late."

"I don't think so Miss Callahan," the man said in a different voice, one full of confidence.

A chill ran down Kate's spine because she did not remember exchanging names. Noticing that the man seemed to be pulling something from his jacket pocket, she stepped forward and her shoe sunk into the dirt on the shoulder of the road. _This can't be happening._ She stepped again and tried to get behind her car, putting it between her and the man with the weapon, or whatever he was holding, but the mud slowed her down.

"Don't struggle and you won't get hurt," he said as his hand closed on her shoulder and yanked her back.

She lost her balance in the slippery mud and fell onto the pavement to land hard on her backside. The man now towered over her and leaned down to press a metal object to her neck. _Oh God, he's going to kill me. _A jolt like when she once touched an electrical plug went through her and she knew nothing after that.

**TBC**


	3. Introductions

**Hasbro owns all characters except OCs**

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews. Thanks to Betherdy Babe for beta.**

**Marines:**

**Sgt Stone-New character from movie-Master Gunnery Sergeant Rick McKay**

**Clutch-Corporal Lance Steinberg**

**Rock-N-Roll-Sgt Craig McConnell**

**Blast-Off-Corporal Jeffrey Thompson **

* * *

A deafening roar filled Kate's head, which was already pounding, as she attempted to move. Every muscle in her body felt like it had been stretched and tied into knots. The more she willed herself to move, the more she found that she couldn't feel anything other than the hard surface beneath her right side and the cold metal on her exposed face and hands.

Opening her eyes she saw darkness and then a line of light in front of her face._ I'm under something. Where am I?_ Staring intently at the light coming in under the bottom of the covering, Kate noticed the sound of the engine or motor decreasing. The smell of gasoline filled her nostrils and caused her to get dizzy.

Moving her head slightly caused her to bite her lip from crying out as intense pain radiated through her neck from the hit by the Taser. _But Tasers don't knock you out. The cops said that at the Crime Labs. It only messes with your nerves, not your consciousness._

More memories began to return_. The accident, which was a set-up. But why? Why would someone want to kidnap me? _Fear rose through Kate like the pain in her muscles after being frozen in the same fetal position of hours under some type of heavy tarp or blanket riding on something loud and fueled by gas. _And out in the open like the back of a vehicle. _

"I'm only saying, he's going to be pissed that you hurt her," a high-pitched female voice said from close to Kate's feet. "Why did you zap her in the neck leaving a giant hickey! You could have gotten her in the stomach or anywhere really."

"Well he should have captured her if he was that concerned," the male voice she remembered from the accident scene registered with her. "She wasn't an easy target. She never went anywhere alone. I had to crash into her car since we couldn't pull her out of her apartment."

_They've been stalking me?_ Kate felt an icy cold grip on her heart. Listening as intently as she could, the sound of the motor decreased in volume again as it was throttled back. _We're slowing down._ The mind that was often consumed with solving puzzles and trivia was desperately trying to put the pieces together. _Kidnapping. Staging an accident. Following me. Oh no!_

The vehicle engine cut out and Kate bit her lip, tasting blood, as she realized what was going on. She could barely move, but she pulled her arms and legs closer to her body. There was enough feeling in her limbs for her to realize that a thin, hard material bound her ankles and wrists together. _Whoever they were was going to pull off this tarp and discover I'm awake. _Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited. Her hearing was her only sense that she could rely on and it told her that several people were walking on the metal surface she rested on. _It has to be a boat_, she thought as she suddenly felt an up and down motion.

* * *

Rick held the Tai Chi position of _standing on one leg_ for longer than normal. The pain he felt in his muscles calmed him and made him feel alive. After the last forty-eight hours, he was surprised he still was.

Sergeant Stone, as he went by, and his fellow Marines, Rock-N-Roll, Blast-Off and Clutch, were going off-roading in the Imperial Sand Dunes in California. They stopped at a diner and didn't remembered anything until they woke up in this prison yesterday.

Each man was in his own cell; three cells on each side of the corridor and one at the end. Rock-n-Roll was in the cell on Rick's left, Clutch on his right and Blast-off at the end of the corridor leaving three empty cells on the other side. _Luckily they haven't caught any other Joes. _

The four men spent hours talking about how COBRA could know their identities. When a Joe joins the program, their real identity is hidden and no one, unless you personally told him or her your name, would have the slightest idea who you were. After coming up with no answers that any of them wished to speak aloud, the men settled into their normal coping mechanism before a battle.

Sergeant Stone did Tai Chi and various other martial arts moves, Rock-n-Roll did push-ups, Blast-Off slept and Clutch complained and whined. All the men fought together on many missions so they easily zoned him out. Clutch was a man of action and speed, hence the reason he drove anything that the experimental labs put out for GI Joe to evaluate.

The sound of the large metal door at the end of the corridor opening echoed through the holding area. A NeoViper stepped into the room, the fluorescent lighting reflecting off the mask covering his face.

"Hey, our wake-up call," Clutch shouted in his thick New Jersey accent. "What's for breakfast?"

The faceless soldier stepped aside to let another enter; this one was carrying a person thrown over his shoulder. When Rick and the other soldiers saw it, they all stepped to the front of their cells with Rock-n-Roll and Blast-off holding onto the bars.

As the NeoViper opened the cell across from Rick, he saw that it was a woman. Her long blond hair hung down the back of the soldier as he held her legs under his arm. She was not very big and he thought for a moment she might be a teenager.

The COBRA soldier dropped her not very gently onto the metal deck.

"Hey, no need to get rough with a lady," Clutch yelled only to have one of the Vipers move quickly to kick the cell door to intimidate the young man.

"Hey, nice boots. I think they're my size." Rick had to smile at the Corporal's retort.

The Master Gunny's attention was immediately drawn back to the woman lying on the floor of the cell. The soldier was leaning over her and he saw the man pull out a knife.

"I wouldn't hurt her if I were you," Rick said in a deathly quiet tone. Even though it was hard to see, the other Marines tensed for action upon hearing his voice.

The soldier turned and looked at Stone; his face hidden behind a mask and raised a large knife for the Joes to see, obviously taunting them.

"We are going to have so much fun carving you up before we leave," Clutch said.

Even though the man was a notorious womanizer, Clutch did _genuinely_ care about people. This woman, who none of them recognized as a Joe, was in real danger and there was nothing they could do except project their attitude through their words.

The woman shifted on the floor behind the soldier and he must have sensed it because he turned from Stone to kneel next to her.

"Trust me, you don't want to do that!" Rick yelled without realizing he raised his voice. The thought that this woman was going to be tortured or worse in front of them while they were powerless to do anything was unacceptable to him.

The Viper grabbed the woman's arms, which were bound, and cut the plastic ties holding her hands and then did the same to her legs. Standing once again, he left the cell and slammed the door.

A collective release of held breaths came from the Joes. The two Vipers left without looking at them and slammed the door to the cellblock behind them.

Silence once again descended only to be broken by the sniffling of the woman who was now in their midst.

"Hey," Rick said kneeling in his cell to put himself closer to the floor and her level. "Are you injured?"

She shook her head with her unruly hair hiding her face and in a quiet voice said, "Not too badly."

"What did they do to you?" he asked, dreading the answer.

The woman pushed herself into a sitting position, finally brushing the hair from her eyes. Looking around briefly, she looked as shocked as they were to find themselves in holding cells that looked like they were used in Alcatraz when it was in use.

Rick's breath caught in his throat as she looked at him. She was beautiful, golden hair, bright blue eyes, perfect nose and kissable lips. Shaking his head at the emotions and feelings this young woman elicited in him during a possible deadly situation shocked him. _I must be tired or really do need that vacation._

"I was driving home and… he hit my car. When I got out, he got me with a Taser," she said weakly. Her hands and body visibly shook as she slid herself closer to the cell door. "Or something. Tasers aren't supposed to knock you out."

"That's right. They only stun your muscles," Rock-n-Roll's said. "We all have to take hits from them in Basic."

"Basic?" the woman asked looking at each man who was at the front of their cells studying her intently. "Are you soldiers?"

Rick closed his eyes and shook his head. _She didn't need to know that and could be a plant to get more information._ "Yes, we're soldiers. Who are you?"

"Kate, Katelyn Callahan."

"I'm…" Rick seldom talked to anyone outside of the Joe organization and had to pause to think of what name to give her. _COBRA knows all our names already. _"I'm Sergeant Stone, but you can call me Rick." An audible cough came from Clutch in the next cell and Rick vowed to make him attend a refresher on hand-to-hand when they got back, with him _and_ Snake Eyes. "This is Clutch, Rock-n-Roll and Blast-off and yes, they are call signs, so to speak."

Kate tried to smile at them as she brushed her hair back from her face and it made Rick feel like someone kicked him in the gut. A large red mark was clearly visible on her neck where the Taser stunned her and her wrists appeared to have a thin line of blood on them. "Nice to meet you, I think."

"I'd like to say the pleasure is all ours, but I don't think any of us want to be in this shit hole," Clutch said.

"Where are we?" she asked as she reached out to grab the bars and pull herself up. "Ahhh."

"What hurts?" Rick asked without thinking. It appeared this woman caused all his years of discipline to fly out the window.

"I was in a car accident, so my back and neck are feeling it," she said as she gripped the bars to steady herself.

"You should stay seated," he said, looking critically at her. She was wearing khaki pants, brown shoes and a short-sleeve black polo top. _She didn't look like a COBRA operative or any type of important person at all._ Her face was honest and her eyes were full of fear, but also a quiet resolve to not give into it.

"No, I need to stretch my legs. I've been tied up for a while and the taser or whatever they used to knock me out seems to have stiffened all my muscles." Kate took a few steps away from the door only to turn back and grab the bars with both hands. "Dizzy."

"You should sit down, ma'am," Rock-n-Roll's soothing voice said. "I have advanced medical training. They might have drugged you as well."

_Of course, why didn't I think of that!_ Rick closed his eyes at the fact that his brain seemed to be lost to him at the moment.

"You might be right," she said as she lowered herself only to jump up as they all did when the door opened.

A man in a long black trench coat and bright red hair entered along with several Neo-vipers. He glanced at the Marines with the air of someone who was supremely confident that he had caged the wild animals. "I hope you are enjoying your accommodations. Destro and the Commander will be happy to have four Joes for their latest experiments."

Rick said nothing but stared at the man thinking of all the ways he could kill him if he got a little closer to Rick's cell. After several seconds, the man looked away. _Coward. You'll go down easy._

Where he turned his attention next made Rick once again feel an emotion he had not felt before. Fear, fear for the woman who now bore the brunt of the man's hungry gaze.

"Now, Miss Callahan," the man said as his eyes slid up and down the woman trying to stand tall in front of him.

Rick saw her eyes flash with anger, but the fear underlying her bravado shown through and he was positive their captor saw it.

"I am sorry you are locked up. You are our most _prized_ possession. The key, if you will, to unlocking all the secrets of GI Joe." He waved grandly at the four Marines.

"I think you have the wrong person, asshole," Clutch said. "We don't know her. She's not a Joe."

"No, she's not," he said glancing over his shoulder at them before turning his lustful gaze back on the woman.

Rick clenched his hands and felt his insides churn. _I will not allow him to harm her._ Taking a deep breath, he looked carefully at the way the door attached to the wall of the cell. It was old with fading paint and they all creaked like they had not been oiled in decades. _Some well-placed kicks might loosen the hinges._

"I think I know why you took me and I have to tell you that my grandparents won't pay a ransom for me," Kate said.

Rick glanced at the others quickly before looking closely at the woman trying to be brave across from him. _Is she bluffing? What is she talking about?_

"Ransom? Is that what you think this is about?" the man taunted, making it obvious he had not thought of the idea before and liked it.

"They are very wealthy, but they disowned us. I never even met them," she said with a catch in her voice.

"Ah, yes, the family. I must say that your _family_ is the reason you're here," he said as he motioned for the guards to open her cell.

"What are you doing with her?" Rick asked as he moved to the front of his cell willing the man to come within striking distance of his hand. Knowing which pressure point to incapacitate and which to kill, his hands truly were lethal weapons.

Unfortunately, the red head was not that stupid. He stepped back as the guards opened the cell. Kate moved back into the corner as her fear overcame her, causing her to tremble and bite her lip.

"Kate," Rick called out to her. Since it appeared he would not be able to physically help her, he was hoping to give her some emotional strength. The thought that they might torture her was at the forefront of his mind. "They obviously want you alive."

Her blue eyes connected for a second with his and she suddenly straightened up. The guard, who was about to grab her, paused and glanced at his leader.

"I can walk," she said clenching her fists at her side and trying to glare at the red-haired man.

He suddenly began laughing, the sound echoed in the holding area. "So you can, Miss Callahan. Or should I say Miss Abernathy."

Rick recognized the name immediately. It was the name of his mentor, a man more like a father to him than the drunken excuse of a man who brought him into the world. _Abernathy. Holy shit! The General's daughter!_

* * *

**A/N: I know. You can hate me for stopping here, but I love a good cliffhanger.**


	4. More Questions

**Hasbro owns characters except OCs**

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews. Thanks to Betherdy Babe for beta.**

* * *

General Hawk sat with his Alpha Team around him at the conference table, with Snake Eyes standing at the door. Each was offering their opinion about the apparent disappearance of several Joes. Hawk had some reservations about the new Alpha team, but after several successful missions together, even with the personality differences, they worked well together. _Even with all the rumors about romantic interests among some of them. _Hawk did not care for fraternization within the ranks but it was impossible to prevent.

"It's not like Sergeant Stone to not report in. The bloody man never sleeps," Heavy Duty said crossing his arms. He had been advocating a search mission for the four missing Marines for the last day.

Hawk had hoped the other soldiers might have gotten Rick to relax and enjoy some four-wheeling in the sand dunes. _But Heavy Duty's right, Rick is too much of a soldier to ever be on down time._

"Oui," Breaker replied. "For the transponder in his watch to be off, he either lost it, which is highly unlikely, or someone shut it off."

"Maybe Clutch did. He's a joker," Ripcord said.

"I just said Stone never sleeps. How could anyone slip the watch off to turn it off?" Heavy Duty replied. He was still not totally sold on Ripcord and made no secret of it.

"Well maybe, your indestructible Sergeant Stone let his guard down for a while," Rip said.

"All right, enough!" Duke jumped in. "I say we run a couple of satellite…"

"Sorry, sir. I do not mean to interrupt the meeting but you are getting call on secured line. It is private frequency," Hawk's new assistant said. Sergeant Misha Zubenkov was a former Russian Oktober Guard and refused to give up her identity when she joined the Joes. Her thick Russian accent took him some getting used to, but she was as efficient as his last assistant, Covergirl , who was murdered by COBRA, and she was incredibly tenacious. _If zhe COBRA vants me, zey can come and get me._

Hawk looked at everyone else in the room and saw that they all let out a sigh of relief. _Finally, Rick's checking in._

* * *

Kate hoped she hid the trembling and her fear. Since she was a child and her mother kissed her goodbye to leave and kill herself, the young woman vowed not to show weakness to others. She remembered tugging at her mother's leg as she left never to return. Several years after that, she stood in a rainy, wet cemetery after a long car ride for a seven-year-old to Washington DC. Arlington National Cemetery was the final resting place for thousands of soldiers and she shed the last tears she had for her father during that visit. Even though he was not buried there, the little girl wanted to go to the place where _heroes_ rested to be close to him.

But the look from this man, who the woman called Zandar, terrified her and lowered some of her defenses. As a blond, she was used to being checked out, but usually could ignore it. This man, however, truly caused her skin to crawl. There was no doubt in her mind what was _eventually_ going to happen to her at Zandar's hands if she did not escape. If not for the soldiers in the cellblock with her, she was certain she would have lost it and tried to run in the hopes of being killed.

As soon as her eyes connected with Sergeant Stone, she felt a connection to the soldier. She knew there was no reason to trust these men any more than the creeps who kidnapped her, but something about the way they carried themselves and the way they spoke with the utmost confidence, even while locked up, helped to build her own back. _These men immediately tried to defend you from the guards and then Zandar. She also_ believed that her father was looking out for her, even from heaven. _My scientist friends think I'm crazy, but Dad's buddies always dropped by to see how I was doing. Why would they do that without some divine intervention?_

Walking as tall as she could at barely over five feet, Kate, whose head was still swimming, followed Zandar down the corridor from the cellblock. Her mind quickly ran over all she had experienced the past hour or so since she woke up on the boat. Her attempt to fake unconsciousness while they carried her diminished her ability to gather useful information.

The chemist noticed that the place was incredibly hot. _Stifling humidity and temperature. Definitely somewhere south of New England to be this hot in June. And it smelled terrible, like the salt marshes near Cape Cod._

Once she left the cellblock with Zandar, she paid close attention at the path they were taking. The young scientist took note of the rusting doors, the manual levers to open and close them, along with the creaking and deduced that the place was decades old and had not been used until very recently. _No time to lubricate the mechanisms._

There was a large lever that closed the door to the cellblock and she saw individual levers for each cell. _If I can get away and get back there, I need to open the big door and run inside to open the cell doors. Once the soldiers are out, they'll handle things._

Her total confidence in the stranger Rick confused her. Never had she trusted someone she never met and seldom trusted those she did for a long time. _But… there's just something so honest in his baby blue eyes. He'll protect me. I just know it. _

That thought sent a different type of feeling down her spine. A pleasant one that she had not felt since college, but, if she was honest, she never felt at all. It was that initial tingling you got when you met someone you really liked in a romantic way. _It's just the stress and fear getting to you. His eyes are an incredible shade of blue and they just pulled you in. That's all._

"Well, Miss Callahan, we have arrived for your reunion," Zandar's voice cut through her thoughts and caused her to mentally berate herself for not paying better attention.

She said nothing for fear that her voice might break. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into a room that did not match the rest of the facility at all. It looked like something from NASA. There were banks of computers and monitors all around the room and in the center, a platform like on the game show _Who Wants to be a Millionaire_. _Only the chairs are missing._

"Please, step this way," Zandar said as he reached for her arm.

"I said I can walk," she shot back as she stepped out of his reach only to bump into one of the other guards, whose hands closed in a vice-like grip on her upper arms sending pain throughout her. "Ahhh!" she cried as she winced.

"Dammit, don't hurt her," Zandar yelled. "You're a bunch of brutes. She can't be harmed."

Kate shook her head to clear the pain and at the thought that he had already hurt her enough. _I know I'm a Christian, but I hope those soldiers give you what you deserve._

"Now, Miss Abernathy, I have someone to reacquaint you with," Zandar said and nodded to a technician. "Please use the code we were provided by my brother and dial up Miss Abernathy's family."

"I told you they don't give a damn about me," Kate said as concern filled her. _If he knows I'm worthless, he won't return me to the cellblock and I can't get the soldiers out._

"I guarantee you this family member cares a great deal about your wellbeing," he said.

An image began to flicker and form in the middle of the circular dais she noticed earlier. _A hologram projector. Is this real or am I still in the cell passed out?_

The man, whose image was coming into focus, was a tall man wearing a black beret and uniform; when she looked at his face, Kate could not hide the shock. Her hand flew to her mouth and she cried out, "No! It can't be!"

TBC

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**A/N: Yes, evil cliffhangers. Sorry, but it keeps you curious.**


	5. Revelation

**Hasbro owns characters except OCs**

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews. Thanks to Betherdy Babe for beta.**

* * *

**In the Cellblock**

Once Zandar left, Rick kicked the cell door several times. He hoped to loosen it, but he really did it to unleash some of the pent up fury he had. _I've never lost it before, but I've never had an innocent civilian in danger before my eyes without any way to help her. _Her identity and the fact that she captivated him the moment their eyes met only added to his concern and anger.

"Master Gunny, who's Abernathy?" Rock asked as Clutch got in a few well-placed kicks to the wall that was shared with Rick's cell.

Sergeant Stone stopped kicking and shook the door. "Excellent. The hinges are exposed," he said looking at the rusty screws near the bottom. "Now I just need some metal."

"Took all my knives and even my belt buckle, Master Gunny," Blast-off said as he sat against the wall once more. "I've got nothing."

"Me neither," Rock said from behind him.

"Clutch? Got anything hidden?" Rick asked. _If I could just get something to loosen those screws, I can knock the door out enough to get through._

"Nope," Clutch said looking dejected. "Looks like we're not gonna be able to save her. Too bad. She's really pretty and seems tougher than she looks."

A wave of intense jealousy swept through Rick at the Marine's comments. He didn't want his buddies or anyone else noticing how pretty she was or the strength in her eyes when facing those COBRA bastards alone. "Do you think you could keep your mind on us getting out of here? Besides, she is one hundred percent hands-off to you."

"Really? So, who's Abernathy? Someone important?" Clutch asked with raised eyebrows.

"General Hawk."

"Holy shit!" Clutch said with eyes widening. "The General has a daughter?"

"She doesn't know he's still alive." Rick thought of what the young woman will go through upon finding out her father, whom she thought was dead for over fifteen years, is alive.

Rick had been in the General's office a couple years ago and Hawk got an email that he took right away. The Marine got up to leave, but Hawk motioned for him to stay. As the General's grin broadened, Rick desperately wanted to escape because it was obviously something private that he had no business knowing about.

"Sorry, Sergeant," Hawk said smiling. "Just got a message about my daughter…"

The General then told the young man about being a POW, the loss of his family, everything. Rick never knew why, but after that Hawk sought him out to confide in. Growing up without a positive male figure around, Rick always wondered what a _real_ father would be like. _General Hawk would be a great father. Too bad war took him away from his family._

"Unbelievable? If COBRA found out Hawk has a daughter, no wonder they got our real identities to catch us," Clutch said.

"So, we gotta get out of here. That's Hawk's daughter out there. We owe it to him and her to protect her," Rick said looking at all of his men.

"Hey, Clutch, don't you wear steel-toed shoes?" Blast-off said from the floor of his cell.

"Yeah, so?"

"I asked if anyone had any metal around here," Rick said shaking his head. Clutch was a good Marine but sometimes not the most creative.

"I need my shoes," he whined.

"You said the guard had the same size, so steal his once we're out. Now give me a boot," Rick said putting his hand through the bars into Clutch's cell.

"Oh, this sucks," the driver said as he sat down to pull off his boots.

* * *

**In the Pit**

"Ah, General Hawk, so good of you to take my call. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Zandar," a tall man with bright red hair, who stood on the hologram grid in the middle of the briefing room, said as he bowed. A black trench coat was brushed aside to show a long knife in a scabbard.

Hawk glanced quickly at the team assembled around him and heard Misha's thick accent immediately in his earpiece. "Zandar is zhe younger brother of Zartan and has a twin sister Zarana. Ze is not smartest one in zha family."

The General tried not to laugh too loudly_. Even if he's an idiot, he obviously captured my men, so I better take him seriously._ "We haven't seen or heard from your brother in six months. I really hope we killed him and you're calling to say you're in charge."

"No, my brother's not dead. He's quite alive _and_ safe. He has earned a great reward from the Commander," Zandar said with a bit of envy in his voice.

"I need to tell you that our official policy is that we do not negotiate for release of our people. We rescue them and destroy everyone in our path. If you have any of my men, I suggest you let them go and maybe give us some information on your brother…" Hawk said and paused, staring at the man who suddenly looked off at a sound. "If I'm boring you, perhaps you'd like to call back later?"

"No! I said don't hurt… Idiots!" Zandar suddenly disappeared off the hologram platform and Hawk looked at Breaker and the other technicians in the room with raised eyebrows.

_Please tell me we can trace this_, he mentally screamed at his people who were scurrying about.

Zandar suddenly reappeared on the platform, but had one arm stretched outside the field. "It would appear our time to talk has been shortened, General Hawk, or should I say General Abernathy?"

Hawk felt his stomach drop. _There's no way he could easily find out my identity._ "I don't know who you're talking about."

"Oh, I think you do. As a matter of fact, I'm going to prove you are Clayton Abernathy the Third, the disowned son of wealthy millionaire or maybe billionaires by now," Zandar said with an evil smile.

Hawk noticed the Joes tensing in the room. _If my identity was compromised, what would happen to them, their families? No! If they found me, they could find…_

_Kate_! In answer to the mental question and the fear that suddenly gripped his heart, Zandar pulled a young woman into the hologram with him. She had long blond hair, which fell around her face, and a red mark on her cheek. Her eyes stared in a blank fashion at the man who was leering at her.

Fear unlike any he had ever known in his life hit him. _His daughter was a hostage to get to him. _Nothing in his years of military service could help him deal with this. To add insult, the transmission went dead.

"Get it back!" he shouted at Misha, Breaker, Duke and everyone in the room. _God, please don't let them hurt her anymore._

"Sir? Was that really your daughter?" Duke asked.

"Somebody tell me they traced the fucking message!" he screamed again as he walked toward the control panel. Rage, pure and unchecked, flowed through the General. _All that was done to protect her, to let her live her life secure that her world was safe, had been destroyed. Someone betrayed him. Betrayed the Joes_. There was no doubt this bastard had Stone, Rock-n-Roll, Clutch and Blast-off as well.

* * *

**In Zandar's control room**

Kate backed up in shock as her father appeared in the room. It was an older version of the man whose picture was on her bedside table with her mother on their wedding day. It was a face she memorized to keep the monsters away at night and the face she hoped to see again when her life was over. _How can he be alive? What is he doing here? Uncle Larry said my father was a real American hero, _like John Wayne or Clint Eastwood portrayed in the movies she loved._ He couldn't be alive and never come to find me._

The young woman bumped into something as the man, who looked like her father, spoke to Zandar. As his voice awoke the lonely little girl inside her, she stumbled back into a table, knocking it into a server rack. Tools, screwdrivers, wrenches and hammers fell onto the floor as the table collided with the rack. The voice of the man who told her stories over the phone was now telling Zandar he did not negotiate.

Falling to the floor like she was in a dream, the young woman's eyes never left the larger than life-sized hologram in the center of the room. Landing on some of the tools, she was roughly backhanded for making so much noise by the closest Neo-Viper.

A fresh taste of blood filled her mouth as her head snapped back. She was in such a daze from the emotional trauma of seeing a dead man in front of her that she did not respond. Zandar was instantly there to pull her up from the assorted tools she sat on and back on her feet while he yelled at the man who hit her.

She could feel the pain from the slap on her left cheek and the sting to her lip. As Zandar pulled her close to the _ghost_ on the platform, her conscious mind still refused to believe the impossible. _My father died a heroic death. He saved his men and was honored as a hero. Did those soldiers lie to me? Did they know? Why wouldn't he come for me? Does he even know mother is dead?_

A thousand questions flooded through her mind as the blue eyes of her father looked at her from several inches away. Turning her head fully toward the hologram, it suddenly disappeared. _I knew it was a dream. Why I'm in so much pain from a dream, I'll never know? Must have really hit my head in the car accident. I bet I'm in a coma. Look, that ugly black dog that caused the accident is even sitting in the corridor waiting for me._

Zandar dragged Kate back into the hall as lights flickered in the computer room. The table that Kate hit into the computers apparently caused several of them to crash and control of the systems was fluctuating.

"Damn. Son-of-a… You little bitch. Stop acting like you don't know what's going on," Zandar gripped her shoulders, shaking her hard. "I'm going to make you pay if you've screwed up this set-up."

Zandar dragged her roughly by her right arm down the corridor toward the cellblock; Kate suddenly realized she was holding a screwdriver and shoved it in her pocket. _  
_

_TBC  
_

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**A/N: I really appreciate all the feedback and the favorites and alerts people are signing up for. It keeps me going with the story.  
**


	6. Kate's Plan

**Hasbro owns characters except OCs**

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews. Thanks to Betherdy Babe for beta.**

* * *

Kate was slowly being pulled out of her near catatonic state after seeing and hearing her father by the constant pain from Zandar's grip on her arm and the pain in her head from getting slapped. She knew it was going to leave a bruise, but she wouldn't cry out again. Considering they just tore down all the beliefs she held during her life, giving in to their physical domination of her was too much for the stubborn woman to do.

Memorizing the way back to the cellblock focused her mind on something other than her fear that Zandar would give in to his lust for her or the unfathomable knowledge that her father was alive and had never come for her. _I must let those soldiers out._

She kept track of the turns they took and counted how many guards she saw, which was relatively easy because there weren't many guards around. It appeared the four faceless guards, two of whom where accompanying her and Zandar to the holding area, were the only _heavily_ armed men there_._ There were many men dressed similar to Zandar with a handgun, knife or machete as weapons and ragged clothing. She came to the conclusion that his brother, probably controlled the operation. _He seemed annoyed when my… when the General said he hoped he had killed his brother. Looks like he gets no guards and lousy communications equipment if I knocked it out that easily._

"Zandar to the control room," a voice barked over a speaker.

"Excellent," he muttered. "They must have fixed it." Turning to Kate and shaking her one last time by her arm, he said, "I'll be back once I ensure everything is working properly."

Kate looked blankly at him. "You heard what the General said. He'll never negotiate, he'll just kill you."

Before she could react, she was bodily pressed against the closest wall. Zandar's face was inches from hers. "Then I better extract some pleasure before my death," he said as he ran his free hand down her cheek, over her shoulder and down her chest.

Kate wanted to vomit at his touch and fetid breath. Taking all her strength to show no weakness, she merely glared at him. Clenching her teeth as he pressed firmly against her, she kept from spitting in his face.

"Breaking you will be my pleasure," he said and leaned forward, lapping her cheek.

The young woman was so disgusted; she had to try to get away. Her knee came up quickly between his legs, but he must have expected it for he moved away causing her to lose her balance. Zandar stepped back quickly causing her to fall and catch herself on arms that already hurt.

His laughter echoed in the room. "I see you have some of your father's warrior spirit. I won't leave too many bruises, unless you fight back. It can be our little secret." The look he shot her made her silently vow to kill herself with the screwdriver if it seemed like he was going to touch her again.

After she regained her feet, a large grey door leading into one last room before the cellblock stood in front of her. Kate realized if she wanted to try to free the soldiers, she needed to get ready. Once through the door, there was a general holding area and the door into the cellblock housing the soldiers. _I need to get away from these guys and pull that lever to dart into the other room. All the cell levers are on the left, inside the door._

Reaching into her pocket and taking a deep breath to clear her head, Kate stepped through the door between the two guards. Neither grabbed her to make her walk, so she tried to hold her head up and continue to look blankly. Her brain was not blank. The large lever on the wall to her right seemed to call to her. _I only need to pull it and get into the room. The element of surprise. _She thought of all the war and cop shows she watched growing up. _I can do this._

One guard stopped to close the door behind them while the other walked toward the mechanism for the cellblock. _Show time._ Kate took one more breath, pulled the screwdriver from her pocket, having no idea what to do with it except having something to grip made her feel better, and ran.

Surprise was in her favor as the guard she passed paused momentarily. The one at the door yelled, "Get her!"

She lunged for the lever and felt a moment of joy as she heard the mechanism begin to click under pressure from her outstretched hand and saw the door in her peripheral vision begin to open. The joy was quickly lost when a vice-like grip closed on her left forearm causing her to drop the screwdriver and cry out. The pain did not lessen as her arm was ripped backwards, followed by the rest of her body. The force of the guard sent her flying backwards and smacking into the wall behind them.

"Wha…" the guard who threw her started, only to be knocked onto his back.

Kate's arm felt like it was on fire and that it had been ripped from her socket. Screaming in agony when she tried to push herself up, she felt tears of pain cascade down her cheeks as her vision dimmed. _Can't pass out. Can't pass out. Need to tell them what's going on._ This desire to pass on what she knew focused her attention on the men in the room with her.

A roar sounded through the holding area as Kate saw a blur that was black on top with camouflage pants fly across the room into the guard standing next to her. The soldier hit the Neo-Viper in the abdomen driving him into the door, where they crumpled to the floor. The Neo-Viper had been in the process of pulling his gun up when the soldier crashed into him, so the man grabbed the barrel of the gun and pointed it down.

Kate noticed three other figures coming through the door. The tears and pain caused her vision to blur, so it was hard to tell who was doing what. One of them kicked the first guard in the head, knocking him back as he tried to get off the floor, and jumped on top of him. The guard had his arms pinned at his sides by the soldier's knees, so he could not stop the attack easily. A second figure, also with a black t-shirt, stooped down on the floor and picked up her screwdriver. Kneeling next to his struggling comrade and the guard, who was being throttled under his helmet, the smaller man raised the screwdriver like a stake from some vampire movie and slammed it down through the helmet. No sound came from the guard and it chilled Kate more than any cry of anguish ever could. _How could he not react to a screwdriver being driven into his eye?_

Her vision cleared allowing sounds and images to come into focus: Rick on top of the guard with the screwdriver in his helmet, Clutch pulling a knife from the guard's boot as well as Rock-n-Roll and Blast-off pinning the Neo-Viper with the weight of their bodies against the wall. The Viper had his weapon trapped between him and Rock-n-Roll while Blast-off had what looked like a piece of metal in one of his hands.

Kate watched like everything was in slow motion as a crimson fluid flowed down the bare arm that was rammed under the edge of the guard's helmet. The guard began to sag as his body lost its vital fluid.

"Get to Kate, Rock!" Rick's sharp voice called from his position on top of the Neo-Viper.

She saw the big soldier with the unruly mop of blond hair leave the dying Viper to run over and kneel next to her. Desperate to see what was happening with the others, but unable to open her mouth to protest because of the pain, Kate looked at the big man in front of her.

"Are you okay, Miss?" the blond Marine asked as he tentatively reached out to touch her shoulder. "I think this might be…" Kate screamed and slumped over as the intense pain from his slight touch pushed her brain towards unconsciousness.

"What did you do?" Rick's voice screamed as Kate lost her battle with her body to stay awake.

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**A/N: Yes, the evil cliffhanger. Sorry, but I love them.**


	7. Kate's Pain

**HASBRO owns all characters except OCs**

* * *

Sergeant Stone had managed to get out of his cell by using the metal from Clutch's steel-toed shoes like a screwdriver and with more kicking. Once the door bent enough at the base so he could push it, he crawled through and opened the other cells.

The Marines had to wait for the guards to return before they could launch their escape and find Hawk's daughter. The longer the guards were gone, the more Rick's stomach churned. _If they hurt her, I'll kill every one of those bastards with my bare hands. Screw weapons, they can be overrated._ His intense desire to find Kate and ensure she was safe drove him to clench his hands and grit his teeth. He couldn't remember ever reacting like _this_ before a rescue mission. _What is it about her that seems to mess up my head?_

Sounds outside the door alerted them to the return of their guards so Rick moved into position in front of the door. A running start would help them to surprise the Neo-Vipers and get in one or two hits before the need to get weapons became a necessity. Getting at their throats or their head under the helmets was the only way to defeat a Neo-Viper without some serious firepower like Rock usually had. _We sure could use one of his machine guns now. _

"Get ready," Rick said quietly. There was no need for words with these veterans, but he hadn't gone on a mission in over two years and it was old habit.

Blast-off stood to his left, Rock-n-Roll on his right and Clutch behind them since he had no shoes. When the door started opening, he heard a shout and knew instantly that their plan had to change.

The sight before his eyes as Rock shoved the door fully open sent a rage through him like he had never felt before. Kate was being thrown like a small ragdoll across the room to bounce off the opposite wall. Her left arm hung limply at her side, obviously dislocated. Tears ran down her face, which was scrunched up in pain, as her cry echoed through the room, fueling Rick's rage.

He dropkicked the bastard who tossed her across the room, knocking him on to his back. Before the guard could do anything, Rick leaped on him and got his hands around the guard's neck, squeezing tightly. Since the guard's arms were pinned, he could only twist his body in an effort to push the irate Marine off him.

"Move back, Stone," Clutch said from his left, raising something high and plunging it into the guard's helmet.

Rick barely noticed what the other Marines were doing. His rage at the injury to Kate's body drove him to squeeze harder and harder, feeling the cartilage and bone in the man's neck loosen and finally break.

Looking up, he saw Kate slide down the wall near Rock and Blast-Off. "Get to Kate, Rock!" he shouted to the only one of them trained as a field medic.

Rock suddenly obscured his view of the young woman as he knelt before her to assess her arm. A scream issued from her once again, making Rick run to them yelling, "What did you do?"

While jumping to his feet, Clutch handed him a knife. The Sergeant's eyes zeroed in on the General's daughter and barely noticed the weapon he was now holding. When he got close enough to see how pale she was, he gripped the knife tightly. Her pale complexion allowed the nasty mark on her neck and new bruises to her face and upper arms to stand out.

"It's dislocated," Rock said as he gently lowered her the rest of the way to the floor. "It's going to slow us down. No way around that."

"I'll carry her," Rick said as he knelt beside her. Noticing blood on her lip and new blood around her wrists made the seasoned soldier want to kill the COBRA bastards that did this to her, slowly and with the screwdriver sticking out of the dead guard's eye.

"N-n-no," Kate said in a voice that was barely audible.

"Stay calm Miss…" Rock glanced at Rick as if uncertain of what he should call her.

"Just K-kate. I need…" she whispered. "… to… uh..."

"Don't talk," Rick said, reaching out to brush hair out of her face, which was contorted with pain.

"Stone," Clutch said from behind him. "We got several knives, three SIG P226s, one pulse pistol and two HK G36Cs.

Rick reached out for the pulse pistol. "Grab a holster off of one of the guards and give me a couple knives."

"Sure thing," Clutch said as he returned to the guard that Rick killed.

"Need to…" Kate was trying desperately to stay conscious and Rick felt his anger rise again as he looked at the mark on her arm more closely. _Someone squeezed her arm extremely tight and hit her across the face._

"You need to rest. We'll take care of you," Rick said, trying to keep his voice steady. The rage coursing through him was an unknown experience for him. Never had he been this jacked-up after a fight, or during one for that matter. _The calmest person always survives_, his old drill instructor said. To this point in his life that has been true.

"Gotta tell you…" she struggled to sit up using her right arm and cried out.

"You can't move, your arm is dislocated," Rock said in his steady voice.

"Put it back in," she gasped. "C-c-can't, can't you put it back?"

"It's risky. If I hit a vein, it can…"

"Do it," Kate hissed. "Please. We need to get… get out." Her consciousness seemed to be wavering. "Gotta tell you we're on the water."

"What?" Rick asked. "Water?"

"Yes, I came on… ah… a boat," she said, biting her lip.

"Don't do that," he said without thinking and brushed a thumb over her lip, making her release it from her teeth. A small tear in the sensitive flesh only angered him more. _I'll kill every son of a bitch here for causing her pain and making her hurt herself._

"Boat? Haven't driven a boat in a few years," Clutch said from his position by the door.

Rick looked at him and noticed he was in stocking feet. "Clutch, get some boots on. No one's going to carry you out of here."

"Just guarding your ass while you tend to the General's daughter," Clutch said, walking over to the smaller of the Neo-Vipers.

A whimper came from the young woman as Rock touched her shoulder through her black shirt.

"No sounds at all, Stone," Blast-Off said from the doorway. "Looks like we were quiet and there aren't any cameras around here."

"No… cameras… Ahhh," Kate said as she tried to move away from Rock's poking fingers.

"Damn it, Rock. Be careful," Rick shouted at the Marine, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"It's going to hurt like hell to get her arm back in. I'll need someone to hold her so I can pull her arm and…" the blond Marine paused, glancing at the others, and said quietly to Rick, "I need to take her shirt off too. Cut it off more accurately. I'll be able to see the shoulder better and won't hurt her trying to pull it over her head."

"Oh," Kate moaned obviously hearing the conversation. "Great. Just promise me you'll shoot me if you don't think we'll escape."

"No one is going to shoot you. We're getting you out of here," Rick promised. He had no right to make that promise. Other than her information about being on the water and his own assessment of the rundown facility, he knew nothing about what was on the other side of the door.

"Zandar…" she gasped. "He'll be back. Said… said he'd…" Her eyes opened and locked onto his. "He said he'd… he'd… r-r-rape me. I'd rather die." Tears welled up in her eyes with that confession.

"Bastard," Rock growled.

Rick felt a murderous rage wash over him. As he saw the terror reflected in the woman's eyes, he found his voice, "He won't touch you. He'll have to kill all of us and we're not that easy to kill."

"That's right, ma'am," Rock said. He looked at Rick with sympathy on his face and said, "I'll try not to cut her shirt too badly so she can still use it."

"No, she can have mine," Rick said as he began unbuttoning his shirt. "Sorry it's filthy."

A chuckle came from Clutch; the driver was still removing the shoes he was going to try. Blast-Off stood guard by the door with a rifle and two handguns in his belt listening for any movement on the other side.

"Clutch, get back to the door with Blast-Off," Rick barked.

"But I don't have my shoes, yet," he whined, picking up his rifle from the floor.

"Now!" Rick had lost all patience with the Marine and didn't want him looking at Kate clad only in a bra as well.

"Fine, but you'll be carrying me if they don't fit." Clutch could not keep the laughter from his voice.

Realizing his chivalry would register as something else to the chauvinistic ladies' man, Rick let a bit of his rage out at his teammate. "Just turn around."

"He sure is bossy. Too much time with the new recruits," Clutch said to Blast-Off.

"I heard that," Rick growled as he turned his full attention back to Kate and Rock-n-Roll.

"I'll need you to hold her firmly so I can pull the arm back in," Rock said while carefully cutting her shirt. "Sorry miss, but this is really going to hurt. I had my arm snapped back in once and I passed out from the pain."

"More information… to tell you. There's one control room. Looks high-tech. Rest of the place is like this… old… rusty," Kate said obviously using all her strength to get the information out. "Hallway crosses a corridor that… that… showed light at… the end. Big door at end." A moan came from her once again.

Thinking that she paid attention to her surroundings while fearing sexual assault and confusion by the reappearance of her _supposedly_ dead father caused Rick's admiration of the young woman and his desire to keep her safe swell in his heart. "Thanks for the intel. Don't suppose you know how many guards too?" he asked with a tight smile.

"Only two more…" she started, "… like these. Others like… like Zandar… a dozen. Five techs in control room." Her eyes were clenched shut and her free hand fisted. "The corridor is four hallways back from here."

"Thanks, but I was joking," he said, even more impressed.

"C-can I have something to bite on?" Kate asked weakly.

"Like in the movies?" Rock asked with a smile.

"Yeah. So I don't scream," she breathed, barely more than a whisper. Her download of intelligence to them exhausted her.

"You can just bite _Rick_," Clutch chuckled.

Rick quickly threw one of the knives Clutch set next to him on the floor, embedding it in the wall to the left of Clutch's head. "Keep it up and you'll be lucky to come out of this with _only_ a flesh wound."

Blast-Off's laughter sounded through the holding area. "Nice throw, Stone."

"Thanks," he muttered, turning to see Rock cut the material at her shoulder and peal it off.

"Sorry," he said. "I need to see when I slide the shoulder in."

A weak nod told him to proceed. Kate had on a pink bra that covered her breasts more than your average bikini, but Rick couldn't suppress the quick wash of desire at seeing her pale skin contrasted with the pink fabric. Shifting on his knees to release some pressure, he managed to ask, "How should I hold her?"

"Against your chest should be easiest, so I can tug her arm," Rock said, glancing toward Clutch, obviously expecting some comment from their buddy.

_Looks like the knife scared him. _Rick nodded to Rock and looked back at the petite woman lying between them. "It'll be over quickly and then we'll get out of here."

"Okay," she mumbled, closing her eyes.

Rock ripped a piece off her shirt and wadded it up. "You can bite on this cloth if you think it will help."

Kate opened her eyes, which were now wide with pain and fear. "T-t-thanks." Biting on the material and looking once more at Rick, she nodded to begin.

"All right," Rick said. "I'm going to lean you against me."

The Master Gunnery Sergeant slid his arms around her, his right around her waist and his left around the middle of her back to lift her from the floor. The feel of her in his arms reminded him that it had been a long time since he held a woman this intimately. _But never one this beautiful._ Trying desperately to ignore the feeling of her soft skin against his bare arms, he slid his hand into her hair, which was as silky as her skin. Suppressing a groan, he pulled her tight and felt tears wetting the material of his t-shirt. "Sorry. I know you said you were in an accident and in pain, but I need to make sure you don't move."

"Uh-huh," came a muffled sound from the woman in his arms.

"She'll probably pass out," Rock said as he gently raised her arm and began rotating it as if Kate was trying to throw a baseball. Her right arm snaked around Rick's waist and clutched at his t-shirt as he felt her body tense beneath his hands with more tears and sounds coming from her.

Rock slowly moved the arm back and forth, maintaining a steady pressure until the shoulder slid back into place. Somewhere in the process Kate passed out and went slack in his arms.

"How will you know if you damaged any veins?" Rick asked, concerned Kate could be bleeding internally.

"I don't see any bruising, but it could take time," he said as he released her. "I'll help you get the shirt on her and then I'll carry her."

"No, I'll do it," Rick said fiercely.

"You're a lot better with knives and handguns than me," Rock said, picking up Rick's shirt and starting to slide her arm into it. "When we find a machine gun, I'll give her to you."

Rick knew the machine gunner was right, but he felt responsible for Kate. _Hawk confided in me about his daughter. I need to protect her for him. _At least that was how he tried to reconcile his immediate attraction to her.

He and Rock got her into his shirt and then he left the paramedic to fashion a sling out of the rest of her shirt to secure her arm. Standing up and looking at the dead Neo-Vipers, he had an idea. "Normally, we'd destroy the place and leave, but we have Hawk's daughter to protect so escape is our number one priority."

Blast-Off and Clutch nodded as they followed Rick's eyes to the two dead guards.

"Guess I'll be wearing his boots one way or another," Clutch said as he walked back to the man Rick killed.

**TBC**

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A/N: Hope you are still enjoying this. Feedback is greatly appreciated.**


	8. Betrayal

**Hasbro and Paramount own characters except OCs**

**A/N: Thanks Betherdy Babe for the beta and sorry for the short chapter, but wanted to update this.**

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General Clayton Hawk sat with his head cradled in his hands, which rested on his desk. A photo on his computer screen of a beautiful young woman receiving her degree was frozen in place. Knowing that somewhere in the world the little girl he helped deliver, his little angel, was being beaten or _worse_ because of him tore at his very soul. Anger, despair, impotence could not begin to describe his feelings.

A knock at the door caused him to look up and shout, "What!"

Misha and Duke stood outside waiting to be invited in. They both had stony faces like their commanding officer was trying to achieve, but the General was failing miserably.

"What do you have for me?" Hawk asked.

"According to Anna, Zandar is an outcast. He has a group of mercenaries called the Dreadnoughts. Wanna be pirates, I guess," Duke said.

"Has Breaker gotten anything from that signal?" Hawk asked.

"Can get to a three hundred mile area in the south central United States," Duke replied.

"Ze last intelligence of Zandar was of him on a boat in ze Gulf of Mexico," Misha added. "Goes vith ze pirate theory."

"Did Anna remember anything else?" Hawk asked, his eyes pleading with Duke for some more information.

The young man's eyes glanced away and then back. "Not really, sir. Said he wasn't very smart but acted superior. Destro hated dealing with him but he knew a lot of folks that bought arms."

"What else did she say?" Hawk rose out of his seat and put emphasis on each word, speaking through clenched teeth.

Duke glanced at Misha and then stared directly into the eyes of his CO. "She said he's a bit sadistic, sir."

Hawk felt his entire body tense up. Seeing the bruise on her face and the near catatonic look in her eyes was the final straw. The General snapped and grabbed his desk, flipping it over, making Duke and Misha jump back. "I… I'll…" The rage that flowed through him had no outlet.

Misha suddenly began speaking into her ever-present headset. "I vill bring ze General to ze conference room. No, do not bring General Flagg to ze General's office."

General Lawrence Flagg was the son of the man who recruited Hawk. Larry's father, William, died many years ago from a heart attack and his son stepped into the role of leading the Joes until Hawk's appointment seven years ago. Larry was in Washington DC now and handled keeping the Joes top secret. The organization was known to very few in the government or the Pentagon. _For him to be in the Pit was even more bad news._

Hawk took a deep breath and let out his anger with the air; trying to remember the breathing techniques Snake Eyes taught him was only frustrating him more.

"General…" Misha started.

"Tell them I'm on my way," Clay said, dismissing his staff with a wave of his hand.

"I vill get someone to fix your desk," his assistant said as she nodded to her boss. "Poor craftsmanship."

Hawk looked at his new assistant and nodded. Her attempt at humor was Misha's way of telling him she understood his pain.

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General Lawrence Flagg was scared. He'd never been afraid in his life, which spanned service to his country from Vietnam in the 70s to the First Gulf War. The career soldier had been in Army Intelligence since graduating West Point and never felt fear on the battlefield or reviewing data. His undying faith in the military of the United States and now the team of foreign and domestic fighters, assembled by his father, himself, and Clayton Hawk, never waivered. The events of the past forty-eight hours changed all that.

The sudden arrival of General Hawk pulled him out of his musings. He spoke with confidence in his voice that he did not feel. "Clayton, thanks for taking the time to see me. Wish I brought good news."

"How could they find Kate!" the younger General nearly screamed when the door closed. Clayton settled into his standard angry pose of hands on hips and blue eyes blazing.

"It's beyond Kate, Clay," Larry replied. "We need to recall all our Joes. Our allies around the world are reporting soldiers that were on leave disappearing. Just like your Marines."

"What?" Hawk shouted.

"It appears we've all been betrayed," Larry said.

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"Excellent," Zandar shouted as his technicians got the hologram projector working again. He wouldn't risk calling Hawk again, but he could record and send a message. _Now for the girl._ A grin spread over his features.

Since the moment he laid eyes on Katelyn _Abernathy_, he knew he'd have her. Her golden hair and blue eyes made her more beautiful than any of the women he'd taken before. The addition of the fiery spirit stirred his blood and fueled his desire even more.

"I'll be in the cell block for a few minutes," he laughed. It wouldn't take long for him to be satisfied and then she'd be in just the right emotional state to send a message to Daddy.

Zandar walked quickly through the corridors, causing the guards to jog along behind him. He left two of the NeoVipers his brother had sent to him from the Commander in the control room and expected to run into the others in the holding area. His own Dreadnaughts, who were not in the best of shape, accompanied him.

His body trembled as he imagined the young woman huddled in her cell. He'd take her right in front of those arrogant bastards the Commander wanted to turn into super soldiers. Laughter rang out as he let one of his men open the door.

It was quickly replaced with a scream of rage as he saw two dead men on the floor. One had his throat obviously slit and the other had glass protruding from his eye and bruising on his throat.

"Nooooo!" he cried as he ran into the cellblock to see empty, open cells. "Find them! Sound the alarm."

"What alarm, boss?" the closest Dreadnaught asked.

Zandar's only reply was a solid punch to the man's flabby mid-section.

TBC

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**A/N: Sorry for the long delay in moving this story forward. Had a bit of writer's block, not to mention writing a creepy guy's thoughts was difficult. I'll try to update faster.**


	9. Author's Note

**A/N:** I HATE when people do this, but I still have new folks following this story and don't want to leave them hanging. With the new movie coming out soon, I felt I needed to do something about this story.

I have reached an impasse and I have given this story over to a dear friend for _adoption_. _RoryFaller_ has been writing for _StarGate Atlantis_, _Terra Nova_ and _The Hunger Games_ for quite a while. I know she'll do this story justice. If you are still interested in this story, she'll be updating and republishing it shortly.

Thanks for the feedback and for the support. I'm sorry I couldn't finish this.

Beth


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